Harst's Bat Leads Cajuns To Win

Hunter Moody's strong effort on the mound was supported by Chance Harst's pair of two-run home runs Friday night as the Cajuns topped the Troy Trojans 7-3 at M.L."Tigue" Moore Field.

Moody (7-2) allowed three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts through eight innings, tossing a game-high 124 pitches. Buddy Glass struck out two batters to close out the ninth inning.

Chance Harst finished 2-for-3 with a career-high two home runs and four RBI. Matt Goulas was the only other Cajun to record a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base.

Reigning Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week Tim Wheeler (3-5) suffered the defeat, allowing seven runs – five earned – on eight hits. Wheeler struck out a game-high eight batters in seven innings.

Adam Bryant led the Trojans with a 2-for-4 night that included a two-run home run.

The Cajuns jumped out to an early lead with a two run second inning. Nolan Gisclair roped a lead-off single through the left side for the first hit of the game. Harst then smashed a two-run home run halfway up the pine trees in left field for a 2-0 Cajuns lead.

Troy would cut the lead in half in the fourth inning, 2-1, on Daryl Otwell’s RBI groundout. Bryan Miller tagged Moody’s first offering of the inning as he sent a double to deep right-center. After moving to third on a groundout, Otwell plated Miller for the first Trojans run.

Troy scored two more runs in the fifth to erase the Cajuns’ lead. With one out, Brock Kelly singled to center and later came around to score on Adam Bryant’s two-run homer to left. Bryant’s two-RBI blast gave Troy its first lead of the night, 3-2.

In the Sixth, the Cajuns regained a one-run lead, 4-3. Gisclair reached on a lead-off, two-base throwing error by Troy third baseman Brett Henry. A wild pitch later advanced Gisclair to third before eventually being caught in a rundown between third and home. Jordan Poirrier tied the game at 3-3 with a RBI single to right field that scored Matt Hicks.

William Long followed with the go-ahead RBI single to center, scoring Poirrier for the 4-3 Cajuns lead.

The Cajuns would put the game away in the seventh scoring three runs. Leading 5-3, Chance Harst gave the Cajuns a much-needed boost with a two-run insurance homer for the final 7-3 count.